LAHORE, Jan 6: Three alleged robbers were killed in an ‘encounter’ with police at a doctor’s residence in EME sector of Defence Housing Authority on Tuesday, witnesses and police said.

The police, which also recovered the body of a strangulated retired army officer from the house, believed that he was killed by the criminals on resistance.

The murder of the 45-year-old retired major at the residence of a doctor by three armed men who had already made the doctor, his mother and a servant hostage since Monday night, leaves many questions unanswered and creates doubts about the incident. Somewhat conflicting accounts of witnesses and the police add to the mystery shrouding the incident.

A relative of child specialist Dr Saqib Nisar of B-Block of EME Society, who did not wish to be named, told Dawn that three people telephoned the doctor around 8pm on Monday that they had to get a boy checked up in emergency. Dr Saqib asked them to visit his residence as he could not turn up at the hospital, he added.

Subsequently, three people reached Dr Saqib’s house after some time and came in after holding up his servant Ahsaan. They tied the inmates, bagged Rs350,000 in cash and three cell phones and asked the doctor to ring up Maj Rana Abdus Samad (retired), also a resident of B-Block, and invite him to his house.

The relative said Dr Saqib called the major who agreed to see him but only next morning. As Rana Samad reached the doctor’s place after dropping his children at school around 8am, he said, the ‘host’ welcomed him and the next moment the gangsters overpowered and roped the visitor and asked him to hand over cash and sign cheques of his accounts.

In the meantime, the doctor’s servant managed to reach the main gate from the back door and informed a front-door neighbour about the robbers. The neighbour informed the society’s security staff which arrived at the house. Dr Saqib, accompanied by one of the criminals who clung to him like a shadow, apparently satisfied the staff but did succeed in conveying his message to the guards, said the relative.

The security, he said, called in the police which cordoned off the house and challenged the criminals. A cross-fire took place after which the criminals surrendered to the police who shot dead the three.

Chaudhry Khalid, who is a cousin of Samad, told Dawn that the former serviceman, the father of three, ran several brick kilns and was engaged in real estate and construction businesses. He expressed doubts about the visit of Samad to Dr Saqib’s place on the latter’s call and murder of his relative by the criminals.

He claimed that the major had no enmity or monetary dispute with any one. “This is strange and dubious that the criminals had only tied and thrashed the major, but the doctor, his mother and servant remained unhurt.”

He said Samad had sold the house, where the incident took place, to Dr Saqib six years ago and received full amount, adding that it was the only deal through which they knew each other.

A neighbour of Dr Saqib, seeking anonymity, told Dawn that one of the criminals was interrogated by the police before being killed in ‘encounter’. He said a large police contingent, including the Elite Force commandoes, took part in the operation.

Saddar Division SP Rana Mansoorul Haq told Dawn that they received an emergency call around 8:45am that there were some robbers in the house of a doctor, who had taken the family and an outsider hostage. He said he had ordered officials of different police stations to reach the spot and also called in the Elite Force in anticipation of ‘grave situation’.

The SP said as they reached the spot, house owner Dr Saqib was already present outside the house and he informed them that three robbers had strangulated Maj Samad after subjecting him to severe torture. He said he briefed the officials and got them deployed in and around the house, adding that officials of the Elite Force occupied their positions at the rooftop.

The police made several announcements and asked the robbers to surrender, but they refused. The SP said some police officials forced their entry through the main door and found the major dead with a piece of cloth in his mouth and hands and legs tied. He said the brother of the major was called in to apprise him of the situation. An encounter ensued between the police and the criminals (who had taken refuge on the first storey) as a result of which the gangsters were killed.

The SP said the intruders looted cash from the doctor and they had to kidnap the major for ransom after calling him to the doctor’s house. He said the Chuhng police had registered one case under sections 302 and 392 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of Dr Saqib Nisar and the other case of the police encounter under different sections of the PPC on behalf of the state. Mr Haq said several kidnap-for-ransom cases against the three culprits had come to the fore. Initial police inquiries did not suggest that the major had any dispute or rivalry with the suspects.

ROBBERS IDENTIFIED: The three robbers were: Yasir Mujahid of Naushera Virkan (Gujranwala) -- an engineering graduate, Akram Bachar of Sargodha and Fauji of Gujranwala, it is learnt.